In Life or Death
by Galadriel Caskett
Summary: [Madlax] What does one say to a loved one when facing possible death? Rated for mention of death. Ugh, had to reload because of formatting problems... one shot, post series.


Disclaimer: I do not own Madlax. I am merely borrowing the characters for use in fanfiction. I promise to give them back, though!

Authoress's notes: Just a little idea which popped into my head. First posted fanfic, so please be gentle… ;; And no, it's not shoujo-ai.

**In Life or Death**

Margaret hummed softly as she swept Eleanor's room, with a certain amount of proficiency she had gained through the weeks. Finally, satisfied that she had done a credible job, she straightened up and surveyed the simply furnished room.

After… losing Eleanor in Gazth-Sonika, Margaret had taken to up-keeping the old house herself. True, she _did _still burn the carbonara sauce at times, and her strawberry shortcakes were invariably flat and tasteless, but she was getting better at it. She hoped.

Leticia, for her part, chose to say nothing about her painfully obvious inaptitude at household chores; besides an occasional grimace when Margaret set particularly unpalatable fare upon the table.

Of course, if she had wanted to, she could have very well hired another maid… the Burton fortune was by no means depleted, after all. But…

"Onee-chan."

She turned to smile at the petite pink-haired girl she had adopted so recently as her sister.

"Yes, Leticia?"

She smiled ingenuously enough back. "Why don't you clean up Eleanor's desk?"

Despite the innocence of the question, Margaret had a hunch that it was not quite so simple. With this particular child, one never knew what _she_ knew…

"Now, what did I tell you about the use of honorifics when referring to your elders?" Margaret chided her reprovingly.

Leticia turned her sweetest smile on her older sister. "Sorry, onee-chan. But you know," she pursed her lips into a pout, "If you don't clean up Eleanor-san's desk soon, I bet you'll find a nice little nest of mice within it soon…"

"Leticia!"

The little girl continued implacably, "Not to mention a couple of colonies of silverfish thriving on whatever paper she has inside there, considering the weather lately…"

Margaret looked at her in horror.

"Oh, an…"

"Oh, alright." Margaret threw a half-hearted glare at her sister as she moved towards the object in question. "Mou…"

Leticia simply beamed at her.

Reaching a hand towards the wooden writing desk, she faltered, then let her hand rest on its varnished surface in a wistful caress. Not that she was completely adverse to the idea of going through Eleanor's things. It was just that… once she had savored the memories contained within them… There would be nothing else left. Of Eleanor, except her own memories. And memories were a poor substitute for the real thing.

Sensing a gaze, she turned slightly to see Leticia watching her intently. Caught out, she smiled a lopsided sort of smile, her expression as unreadable and cryptic as when they had first met.

Something lodged in Margaret's throat at that look. Anticipation? Fear?

She grasped the handle of the top-most drawer and hesitated; then drew it open in a swift, smooth motion…

And froze.

A cream-coloured envelope lay lightly on the stationery beneath… and it was addressed to her in Eleanor's unmistakable prim, precise hand.

Reverently, carefully, Margaret picked it up and ran her fingers gently over the dried ink. Closed her eyes as she felt a surge of Eleanor's familiar warmth from the words. Then, taking the utmost care, she opened it. Unfolding the crisp white paper, the letter ran thus:

_Dear Ms. Margaret,_

_No doubt this is simple paranoia, but I have determined to write a letter to you in the eventuality that should I be unable to return from our search for Ms. Vanessa, I will have said my goodbyes to you properly. Considering that our investigation will take us to a war-ridden country, it is hardly inconceivable that I should lose my life in your defence, after all. _

_This brings up another point. Please, do not in any way feel responsible for my demise. I cannot believe that I would sacrifice myself unless it is for your sake, Ms. Margaret. As such, I would like to make it clear that I do not have any qualms about such a price in exchange for your happiness. It Is a choice I made many years ago, and it is above all else, a path that I chose willingly. The only thing which pains me is that I can no longer be in your service._

_Of course, if you are holding this letter, it must mean that I am no longer in this world. Therefore, my last duty to you –_ Here, the firm hand wavered for the first time -- _would be to remind you to employ a new maid. Forgive my bluntness, but it is to my certain knowledge than you are inadequately equipped to deal with the chores of daily life. I am very sorry that I am unable to be there to handle the paperwork for you, but I hope that Ms. Vanessa will be there to help you. I only wish that I could be there to oversee the training of your new maid, and make sure that she is properly aware that she has to remind you not to fall asleep in your bath, and to ensure that you finish your breakfast every morning, and to boss you around sometimes…_

Here, a blot of ink; as though Eleanor had rested her pen on the paper in a moment of hesitation. Then, words written hastily, as though in a flurry of emotion --

_Also… I love you. Please, think of me sometimes, and know that I always have, and always will love you. You are my family. In life or death, I am ever_

_ "Your loving,_

_ Eleanor"_

A small patch of wetness at the end of the letter. A tear? Eleanor's? No… It was glistening, fresh.

A tiny hand slipped into Margaret's, and she looked down to see Leticia studying her, a question in her eyes, and a tentative smile on her face.

She blinked, and looked back at the letter. Then, she smiled, and cradling the letter close to her breast with her free hand, she said simply, "Warm."

And then, "I love you too, Eleanor."

_-- owari --  
_

_Authoress's notes: Well… Please review? Not entirely sure if Margaret was too OOC, though. I reckoned that after the whole thing was over, and Leticia became a "normal" human, she'd be a little cheeky, with traces of her previous mystery. Any feedback, criticism, and/or flames welcome! _

_Oh, for people unfamiliar with Japanese, onee-chan means big sister. And the Japanese add honorifics to the end of others' names. Like how, in English, you'd add a Mr. or Ms in front of a person's name in formal occasions. Margaret tends to speak rather formally to people she doesn't know very well, so I thought that if she took charge of a child, she would put some emphasis on teaching them polite speech._

_ Bah, I hate formatting. Eleanor's signature won't stay to the right...  
_


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